OpenAI is reportedly in discussion with Hollywood studio executives over the possible use of AI technology in the entertainment industry, just months after the historic protests from actors and writers against it.
People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that OpenAI is scheduled for a meeting with media executives and talent agencies next week to integrate AI video generator into their operations.
According to reports, OpenAI CFO Brad Lightcap has already initiated talks with executives last February to demonstrate the capabilities of Sora AI, a text-to-video AI generator that can produce near-realistic 60-second clips immediately.
Although Sora AI is currently unavailable for public use, the AI firm reportedly granted access to a few A-list actors, directors, and producers as a tease to what comes next once the model is fully released later this year.
The company's CEO, Sam Altman, has also been spotted partying with top brass around the same time as the Academy Awards.
Unauthorized use of AI to copy actors' likenesses and threats of layoffs in favor of the technology have been major points raised during the back-to-back union strike from writers and actors last year.
Hollywood Studios Still Use AI Amid Pushbacks from Actors, Writers
The Writer's Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, leaders of the Hollywood strikes last year, touted their protest as a success.
Four months later, the situation seems far from the result the unions promised to their members and to the public.
"Late Night with the Devil," a recently released horror film inspired by 1970's live TV shows, has been caught using AI-generated images for the film's production, Variety reported.
Cameron and Colin Cairnes, the film's writers and directors, defended the use of AI as them experimenting on "very brief interstitials in the film."
It is worth noting that some eagle-eyed watchers caught AI-generated images also used in the film's background props which were shown on several occasions.
Before the film's controversy, SAG-AFTRA also came under fire for opening a deal with an AI studio to use voice actors' likenesses to integrate AI into video games.
The announcement was met with strong backlash from many people, including voice actors, claiming to not consent to the union's decision.
OpenAI Touts Sora AI a Solution to Increasing Expenses in Entertainment Industry
Before dipping its toes into the film and show industry, OpenAI has been accused of urging game development studios to use Sora to mitigate rising expenses for their large AAA projects.
OpenAI told Bloomberg that it has a "deliberate strategy of working in collaboration with industry through a process of iterative deployment" as it ensures safe implementation of its technology with artists and creatives.
Experts have already expressed concerns with OpenAI's newest product for not only putting many positions at risk but also its possible negative impact on the information democracy online.
